The game was also the Nuggets’ first win over Minnesota since Kevin Garnett’s return to the Wolves. Afterward, the ever-outspoken Garnett echoed the sentiment of others (Paul George, David West) in the league who feel the Nuggets “quit” on Brian Shaw and ultimately led to his ouster.

Asked if he expected the Nuggets to come out with the energy they played with Wednesday in the wake of Shaw’s firing and the months of drama surrounding the team, Garnett told reporters: “No. To be honest, they quit on Brian Shaw. I thought they’d quit again. A quitter is a quitter. That was my take on that. If you got any kind of self-pride about your future, then you want to anticipate someone playing hard. But, no, I wasn’t really concerned about the Denver Nuggets or how they were going to come out. I was more concerned about us, and us going forward and being better.”

Ty Lawson is fouled by Andrew Wiggins Andrew Wiggins while driving the lane for a shot late in the fourth quarter Saturday. (David Zalubowski, The Associated Press)

Analysis from the Nuggets’ 113-105 loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday night at the Pepsi Center.

When a good thing starts as a questionable thing. The return of shooting guard Randy Foye to the rotation after a 26-game absence was good news. The Nuggets needed the extra shooting, floor spacing and ball handling that he provides. But what they didn’t fully know was just how one player’s inclusion back into the rotation could throw everything the existing players knew about subsitution patterns and combinations and the chemistry they’ve come to create, out of whack. It’s like a car whose perfectly good alignment starts to pull in one direction. Read more…

Chauncey Billups, who recently retired after spending 17 seasons in the NBA, is attending the Wolves’ training camp as the guest of coach and president Flip Saunders, according to the team.

Billups, a Colorado hoops legend and former Nugget, has a long history with Saunders. Billups signed with the Timberwolves as a free agent in 2000 and spent two seasons in Minnesota, with Saunders as his coach. Billups then signed with Detroit in 2002, and a year after leading Pistons to a title in 2004, Saunders signed on as their coach.

Recently-retired Chauncey Billups spending a couple of days w/ the #Twolves during camp as Flip Saunders' guest. Will be here today/tmrw.

Prior to announcing his retirement earlier this month, Billups had expressed interest in landing a front-office gig with a team — any team. It’s unclear if his attendance at Minnesota’s camp means he’s on the verge on landing a job with Saunders — in the front office or on the bench — but ESPN.com’s Marc Stein did report this in June: Read more…

“The deal is done but not done,” Windhorst said. “The teams have agreed, but they can’t say they have agreed and they can’t agree because we’re in this weird moratorium period, because you can’t Andrew Wiggins until the 23rd of this month.

“So, between now and then — which is what? 19 days? — could something happen? Could a team come in with a trade that maybe Minnesota doesn’t see? Yes, it could happen. Therefore, it is not done. But, essentially before the papers have been signed, there is a handshake agreement: Kevin Love to the Cavs, Andrew Wiggins to the Timberwolves, and I believe Thaddeus Young will end up in Minnesota, either as part of a separate deal or as part of a three-way deal. Possibly Anthony Bennett, who’s on the Cavs right now, could get re-routed to Philadelphia in part of a deal for Thaddeus Young, there will be draft picks involved.

“But essentially what you need to know if you’re an NBA fan: Kevin Love’s going to be on the Cavs barring anything unforeseen, and Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 overall pick, is going to be in Minnesota.” Read more…

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.